EAT

The task of embodying “the conviviality of Old New York and the Irish-American tradition” might seem like a tall order, especially if you’re attempting it in the Financial District. But given the serious skill set shared between Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry, it’s no surprise The Dead Rabbit has come boisterously to life. Muldoon is the mind behind the concept, which fuses the best of craft cocktails with the “Irish-British tavern tradition,” while McGarry heads up the extensive 12-category, 19th century cocktail menu. It took McGarry two years of research and experimentation before he perfected each of his 72 historic reinterpretations, but it was time well spent. His meticulousness and creativity get expression in a diverse array of cocktails. The space matches the ambition and warmth of the concept, with a Taproom, Parlor, and even a Grocery where you can pick up British sundries like tapenades, preserves, and tinned fish to take home or eat alongside your punch, fizz, nog, smash, and so forth.